Home, Sweet Home: Lost to Wildfires

Warmest 2024, has led to Wild 2025, with Fires.

Various organisations studying climate change noted the year 2024 as the warmest year on record for the Globe. European Union scientists too, maintained the year 2024 as the warmest year on record for Europe.

The year 2025 has begun on a note very alarming—Wild Fires. Wild Fires in Los Angeles, still blazing, are yet to come under control. The wild fires have brought about huge devastation, engulfing homes, structures, public properties and the nature. Apart from human deaths—which on Sunday was reported to be 16, a huge non-human species has perished in the wild fires—figures of which cannot be ascertained with accuracy even after the fires are doused.

The failures of the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024, and the beginning of the new year with Wild Fires of Los Angeles—signs for the globe may have been given by the nature. Writing on the walls are very clear. The question is: Is the world ready to read it and act?

What prompted the Wild Fire in Los Angeles?

Officials are still ascertaining the cause behind the wild fires. But initial investigation, according to reports, suggests wild fires began in upscale Pacific Palisades, home to many Hollywood celebrities, behind a structure in Piedra Morada Drive. Wind enlarged the wild fires and spread its ambit as time passed.

Wild Fires in 2024

• On August 11, 2024, a wild fire broke out in northern Attica region of Greece. Strong wind quickly enlarged the intensity of the wild fire. The flames caused huge evacuation, followed by destruction of nature and properties.

• The Portugal wild fires, that spread through central and northern Portugal in September 2024, burning more than 100,000 hectares of land, left many deaths.

• Turkey wild fires, in June 2024, took place in southeastern Turkey. The fire spread in the villages of the rural Koksalan region, and killed a dozen people, apart from massive destruction of land and nature.

• Wild fires took place in Brazil, Chile, Peru, Canada, U.S’s California, Florida, Texas, Oregon; to name a few.

Severe heatwaves have been a catastrophe in 2024

Nations may bury their heads in the sand, but Global warming is a reality. Race for economic growth and trade wars for becoming economic superpowers that has gripped different countries across the world, holds out remote hope for global warming to be addressed wholesale and collective.

But, can the 2025’s welcome note with Los Angeles Wild Fires, wake up nations from deep slumber?

Or will it take a Hollywood movie on the subject of Wild Fire, to create a sense of the danger?

In any case, Hollywood itself has got the worst impact of the Los Angeles Wild Fires!

Home, Sweet Homes! Lost in the Wild Fire.

Hollywood Hills, hub of American entertainment industry, got affected by the wild fire of Los Angeles on Wednesday. According to reports, it has ravaged 17 hectares of land. The fires there have been contained, but many Hollywood celebrities have lost their homes. Among the Hollywood celebrities who have lost their property include: Harvey Guillen, Barbara Corcoran, Bryan Greenberg, Milo Ventimiglia, Miles Teller, Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton, Tina Knowles, Mandy Moore, among others.

Harvey Guillen—is best known for his What We Do in the Shadows, a television series.

Barbara Corcoran—is an American television personality, an investor and a businesswoman. She owned a mobile home in Pacific Palisades, which has been gutted by the wild fires.

Bryan Greenberg—is an American actor, best known for his roles in HBO series How to Make It in America, among other works. Greenberg lost a home to the wild fires.

Paris Hilton— her house in Malibu burn to burnt to ashes, according to reports. Hilton is an American media personality, businesswoman and child right activist. She is better known for her role in The Simple Life, and other works.

Tina Knowles—is fashion designer, philanthropist and a businesswoman. She has been honoured with Accessories Council Excellence Award for her works in fashion design.

What is the present situation of the wild fires?

U.S. President Joe Biden has described the fires destructions that resembled like a‘war scene’.

The wild fires have claimed 16 lives as reported until now. It has destroyed more than 12,000 structures that includes homes of Hollywood celebrities.

There were two main fires: Eaton and Palisades fires. Palisades fire has burnt more than 22,000 acres of land while Eaton fire has burnt over 14,000 acres of land. Both the fires have been partially contained as of now.

Strong winds have been making the task of the fire fighters difficult. Dry climate of the region reportedly helping fires to go into bigger flames. According to reports, fire fighters are trying to have upper hand over the flames racing against a menacing wind against a threat of spread of the wild fires into southern California residentials. The flames have affected parts of Encino and Brentwood in Tennessee, and was feared to cross over to San Fernando Valley.

According to reports, Canada has sent firefighting team with equipment to fight the fires and help control the fires that have now gone to places.

What next?

For the U.S., this January was important. President Joe Biden is another few days in the White House office and President-elect Donald Trump is entering office for the second time. Change of guard will also see the change in policy, and as it is being thought, the change in internal and foreign affairs policies to going to witnesses sea change in the world’s most powerful nation. The wild fires however will be the first of Trump’s task to address, with a hope that the fires are brought under control when he enters office. In that case too, Trump administration would have to address post-fire trauma of the victims.

The Los Angeles Wild Fires are signals not just to the U.S. but to the entire world community, where climate change and global warming is now a reality.